PROTECT WILD DOLPHINS
Perhaps the most beloved of all marine species, dolphins have a relatively long lifespan and a top spot in the food chain, making them ideal subjects for study of human inputs to coastal ecosystems.
Humans and dolphins share food sources and are exposed to many of the same environmental elements and diseases, so this research can have implications for our well-being.
Humans and dolphins share food sources and are exposed to many of the same environmental elements and diseases, so this research can have implications for our well-being.
Help Us Help Them!
Protect Wild Dolphins license plate revenue enables the conservation activities of the HBOI-FAU Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program (MMRC) including:
Research
The Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) team performs physical examinations and collects biological samples from dolphins for analysis. HERA and dolphin stranding data are used to study the effects of environmental contaminants such as mercury and the spread of infectious diseases.
Response
As a member of the NOAA Southeast Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network, MMRC maintains 24/7 response readiness for dolphin rescue incidents such as beachings and fishing gear entanglements. Incident response includes veterinary assessment to determine if the animal can be released, requires treatment, or must be euthanized. The MMRC necropsy laboratory performs pathological examinations to better understand illness. On January 1, 2011, for the first time since being severely damaged by hurricanes in 2004, the HBOI-FAU Marine Mammal Critical Care Center became available to accept marine mammals in need of rehabilitative care.
Ecology
Context for the data collected by MMRC is constructed via assessments of social organization, movement patterns, feeding behaviors, and genetics of populations. Photographic identification and tracking studies provide a foundation for many of these efforts, which collectively yield a more comprehensive understanding of wild dolphins and the challenges facing them.
Research
The Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) team performs physical examinations and collects biological samples from dolphins for analysis. HERA and dolphin stranding data are used to study the effects of environmental contaminants such as mercury and the spread of infectious diseases.
Response
As a member of the NOAA Southeast Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network, MMRC maintains 24/7 response readiness for dolphin rescue incidents such as beachings and fishing gear entanglements. Incident response includes veterinary assessment to determine if the animal can be released, requires treatment, or must be euthanized. The MMRC necropsy laboratory performs pathological examinations to better understand illness. On January 1, 2011, for the first time since being severely damaged by hurricanes in 2004, the HBOI-FAU Marine Mammal Critical Care Center became available to accept marine mammals in need of rehabilitative care.
Ecology
Context for the data collected by MMRC is constructed via assessments of social organization, movement patterns, feeding behaviors, and genetics of populations. Photographic identification and tracking studies provide a foundation for many of these efforts, which collectively yield a more comprehensive understanding of wild dolphins and the challenges facing them.
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